Rural mail-carrier.



Y L. R. BRUCKNER 64.1. W. MURPHY.

RURAL MAIL CARRIER.

APPLICATION man AuG.21'. 191s,

A. 924$2 y Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

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unitaria smarts ramener unieron.

LLOYD R. BRUCKNER, OF AUGUSTA, AND JOHN W. MURFHY, 0F GRIFFIN, GEORGIA.

RURAL MtL-CARRIER.

Application filed August 21, 1916.

To all whom t may concern: y

Be it known that we, LLOYD It. BnUonNnn and JOHN W. MURPHY, citizens of the United States, residing at Augusta and Griflin, respectively, in the counties ot Riclr mond and Spalding, respectively, State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Vin Rural llflailarriers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention; such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

'This invention relates to improvements in deposit and collection receptacles and is directed more particularly to an apparatus adapted for employment along rural delivroutes whereby to facilitate the delivery and collection of mail matter.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above character in which the receptacle for the mail matter is normally disposed in a retracted position out of the path of passing vehicles and which rnav be readily extended to a position within convenient reach of the occupant of a vehicle to permit the delivery or collection of mail matter without the necessity for dismounting from the vehicle or moving the latter to a position ott the road.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a means of novel construction and arrangement for supporting the mail receptacle whereby it may be adjusted to extended or retracted position with convenience and despatch.

l/Vith the above and other objects of similar nature in view, the invention consists in the construction combination and arrangement of parts, set forth in and falling with'l in the scope of the appended claims.

ln the drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and in retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation with'the parts in partially extended position and,

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section with the parts in extended position.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. v

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the device is illus- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. ill', 191i?.

Serial No. 116,162.

trated generally at lO and consists ci a base member ll preferably in the form of a galvanized, tubular metal post.

The base l1 is disposed in an upright position and is rigidly lstupported,either by sinking its lower end a suitable distance in the ground, or by embedding said end in a concrete or like foundation provided for the purpose.

Swivelly mounted in the upper end of the base ll is a stem 13, the lower end of which is transversely cut away as at le to provide spaced shoulders l5 engageable by a set screw 16 threaded through the side of the post whereby to limit rotation oi the stem in either direction. Carried by the upper end or" the stem and integral therewith is a head 17 longitudinally biturcated as at 18 and provided with trans\'fersely alined openings tor receiving therethrough a pivot pin 20.

SulirpoitedV for vertical swinging move ment within the bifurcation of the head 17 and intcrmediately provided with an opening 22 to pivotally receive the pin 20 is an arm 21.

Slidably connected with the arm 2l at one side ot the base ll is a carrier 23 adapted to move longitudinally of the arm in either direction when the latter is swung to extend at alternate angles above and below the horizontal. This carrier 23 is preferably constructed of a pair of plates 2d, the intermediate portions of which are connected by bolts 25 and are spaced apart a distance to receive there-between the arm 21 with the bolts 25 disposed respectively on opposite sides thereof.

For holding the plates Qel in spaced relation there is engaged with one of the bolts 25 a spacing block 26 and rotatably supported by the other bolt a grooved pulley 27 adapted to ride upon the upper face of the arm when the same is swung to shift the carrier toward or away from the base. The carrier 23 terminates at each end in a yoke 28 formed by bending the plates 9A; as clearly illustrated. Pivotably supported within what is nominally the upper yoke of the carrier is a mail box 29 of conventional type, trunnions 30 being provided at opposite sides thereot| for engagement inbearing openings formed in the ends of `the yoke and so disposed that no matter what position the carrier may assume the box will maintain atv all times an upright position.

The other or lower yoke' 28 is somewhat smaller than the upper and carries a trans` 5 verse bolt 32 lironr'ivliich is pivotally supported a bracket 33 so constructed as to support a second mail box 34 toWhich'it' is suitably secured. A

This b ox is'also arranged* to assume at all times an upright:position'irrespective of the position of the carrier. For limiting' vmovementyofi the carrier 23 outwardlynof the: arm there' is carried` at 1the terminal foi the latter an eye bolt 35lthe1eyeof'fiivhich is'aehrpted lorfengagement by 'the hooked end of an operating member 1:(not shown) -ivhereby 4the arm fmay Ibe conveniently 'swung to either of'itspositions by theoccupant of a vehicle stationed on the road.

Slidably mounted on the arm 2L atgthe iopposite =sideof the-base romithe carrier 23 Vis a counterlweiglitlzSG limited inout- Ward movement by4 albolt 37` iat the end lof the arm tand lheld* in 'adj usted position fonthe 25=latter by a bindingscrevv- 38. The-'coiuiter 1Weight 36 is-adapted to holdtheilarm 21 Iva-tiits fupivard limit of n1ovement,- with the carrier supported upon :thefthead 17,.i1n which 'position the boxes aand 34: arepre- -tracted-out yofthe path of passingvehicles. It will tbe notedthat whenretractedgithe Vcarrier yisf-resting in asubstantiallyv xhori- `zontal position uponthe head 17 lof thestem 4While ythe boxesQS and 34 are disposedton o11 posite1sides vof the kbase.

However in order to deliver 'mail to or `receivefmail:fromthe boxes lfrom a position on ithe road,1'tl1e occupant ,lotithe vehiclezcarlying the mail: will stop adjacent `to the 40 box and, Without leaving lhisqvehicle, 4saving f-fthe arm 21 dow-n fardly, lbyilmeans Aoff/the operating membery above referredV t0n: at

`which time the carrier-S23 will move under the influence oit ,gravity to the end ofthe Llearm While it will simultaneously,` rockfor swing' vertically `ivithrespect to theiarm so that-on reaching` its limitV of .outward movement the position of thefboxesftand tending beyond the end olf-the, arm While Ybase l1. y

' KUien thus disposed, lmail mayl b e;readily collected from and delivered Pto, theboXes r 55. after ivhicli the several .parts of the 4apparaytus may be again retracted by raisingithe arm 21tr)l permit the-carrier and boxes to a ,qravitate towardfthe base and 'again assume -the position above described,suclrnnovement-being` facilitated by the countervveight l SGas is'obvious.

i By siviveling the arm 21,tlirough.-;the;me -vdium of f the stem '13, a vehicle maya be Vstllpped atfany reasonable distance to eitiher sidei of the ,base andthe: liarin sivungahori- "Furthermore the proposed structure Will perniitl 'the vehicle to remain in,.theroad iand-the.occupant,to manipulate the boxes without dismounting, a distinct advantage particularly in Wet,iveatherwlrenmit is, ;t`requent-dy inecessaryV at, thei present, time to either.leavethe uehiole ordrivetlie saine finto a; ,ditch at 1the.l ,side of A ,the ,-road, from .\vh icli-, positionl it isy extremely, diiicnlt to movelslwulclLtlleeiehiclefllemet@ nrmllml Vhat ive-,claim is: Lf'lhe combination Ywith abase ot an arm Ymovableivitlr respectthereto, and a- `-V`receptacle'carrierv connected 4Witln they VAfor i meiement thereon -Atrito, positions fon alterrnate.- c lirectsupportL by i the ,base rand arm.

2. The combination with amhaselfpfwan Lann-,movable to extendi atalternate,anfgles with .respect thereto, :and a receptale'gsljdablyg carried, by and, ,shiiitable ,on the to extend, at alternateV angles, v'vith( respect fto Cthe Iarinand at oppositesides, of thebase.

3. The combination .WithV aibasemofman Harm pivoted `intermediate its (nids tothe base, a` carrierslidably mounted for, reciting Y movement 1 on the arm and :limited lin one direction by thebase, receptacles, supported vvthe carrier at `oppositesides Iof ,the arm ,and movablel therewith toreverse, their positions with respect( ,toptheends Oife-the aufm, and Y a @Welterweight carried ibn-the @met the P- ,i posite side goi'hthelbase, from ltheE carrierl to normally :maintam the L Garrleran tensile@- ment with, the, base land; the receptacles at n iopposite, `Sides of,L the latter.

5,4.; :Theaicombiigiation avilth a.,-baseofi an arm movable vv-ithrespect ,theretoJ a carrier mountedaoihthe arm for movement longii tudina-llv thereo i111; both: fllllienal'eeeptacles supported by theearrier, atopposite Sides ofitheerlnf and ,a colllltelveight 0n the 34; Will-haveY been reversed, thecformer ex- .Y

arm` arranged te.; i normally v`irlaiiltail the .,vsamefatpts limiti@ movement-.inanedirec- -the vlatter will extend inwardlyftoivard.the.

for irement-ik longitudinally thereof te, be

limited` in, one directiom by, theibasd and a 1; l receptacle E supported by, anchmpvable ,with

the -carrier to reverse its position V,Witlirhre- L'Sret tothe-.heee as the is moved, '11.1 0P- posite directions.

\ 6. .Thefcombnatonfwith @basen 0f an arm movable with respect thereto, carrier vmovable ileneitudnallyi @frhe armramil re- ,@Leptacles atl opposite ends f @itY the A .Carrier movable therewith to reverse their position with respect to the ends of the arm when the latter is moved in opposite directions.

7. The combination with a base, of an arm movable with respect thereto, a carrier slidably mounted on the arm for rocking movement, and a receptacle supported by the carrier and arranged in one position of the arm to extend outwardly bevond the end thereof, and in the other position of the arm to extend inwardly of said end.

8. The combination with a base, of an arm movable with respect thereto, a carrier slidably mounted on the arm for swinging movement, and receptacles supported from the carrier on opposite sides of the arm, said carrier upon movement of the arm being, arranged, at its limit of movement in either direction, to swingon said arm and reverse thc position of the receptacles with respect to the ends of the arm.

9. The combination with a base, of a vertically swinging arm, and a carrier slidable on the arm and arranged to swing vertically with respect thereto in its movement under the influence of gravity toward opposite ends of the arm as the latter is swung.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

LLOYD R. BRUCKNER. J OHN W. MURPHY.

l/Vitnesses as to Lloyd R. Bruckner:

FRANK E. SMITH, J. P. COLLINS.

Witnesses as to Jno. WV. Murphy:

NATH. THOMPSON, 0. S. TYUS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

